A low sympathoadrenal activity is associated with body weight gain and development of central adiposity in Pima Indian men

• Published in: Obesity research Vol. 5; no. 4; p. 341
• Main Authors: Tataranni, P.A, Young, J.B, Bogardus, C, Ravussin, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.1997
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue; ADIPOSE TISSUES; Adolescent; ADRENAL GLANDS; Adrenal Glands - physiology; ADRENAL MEDULLA; ADRENALINE; Adult; AETIOLOGY; AMERICAN INDIANS; AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM; BALANCE DE ENERGIA; BILAN ENERGETIQUE; BODY COMPOSITION; BODY FAT; BODY FAT DISTRIBUTION; ENERGY BALANCE; ENERGY METABOLISM; EPINEFRINA; EPINEPHRINE; Epinephrine - urine; ETHNIC GROUPS; ETIOLOGIA; ETIOLOGIE; FONCTION PHYSIOLOGIQUE; FUNCION FISIOLOGICA; GAIN DE POIDS; GANANCIA DE PESO; GLANDULAS SUPRARRENALES; GROUPE ETHNIQUE; GRUPOS ETNICOS; HOMBRES; HOMME; Humans; Indians, North American; Longitudinal Studies; Male; MEN; METABOLISME ENERGETIQUE; METABOLISMO ENERGETICO; NORADRENALINE; NOREPINEFRINA; NOREPINEPHRINE; Norepinephrine - urine; Obesity - etiology; OVERWEIGHT; PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS; Prospective Studies; SISTEMA NERVIOSO AUTONOMO; SOBREPESO; SURPOIDS; SURRENALE; SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM; Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology; SYSTEME NERVEUX AUTONOME; TEJIDO ADIPOSO; TISSU ADIPEUX; WEIGHT GAIN
• ISSN: 1071-7323; 1550-8528
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1997.tb00562.x

To investigate the possible role of impaired sympathetic nervous system and/or adrenal medullary function in the etiology of human obesity, we studied 64 Pima Indian men (28 +/- 6 years, 101 +/- 25 kg, 34 +/- 9% body fat, mean +/- SD) in whom sympathoadrenal function was estimated at baseline by measurements of 24-hour urinary norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (Epi) excretion rates under weight-maintenance conditions. Body weight, body composition (hydrodensitometry), and body fat distribution (waist-to-thigh circumference ratio, W/T) were measured at baseline and follow-up. Follow-up data were available on 44 subjects who gained on average 8.4 +/- 9.5 kg over 3.3 +/- 2.1 years. In these subjects, baseline NE excretion rate, adjusted for its determinants (i.e., fat free mass, fat mass, and W/T), correlated negatively with bodyweight gain (r = -0.38; p = 0.009). Baseline Epi excretion rate correlated negatively with changes in W/T (r = -0.44; p = 0.003). In conclusion, our data show for the first time that a low sympathetic nervous system activity is associated with body weight gain in humans. Also, a low activity of the adrenal medulla is associated with the development of central adiposity